Amy Clipston. The Beloved Hope Chest. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2017. See here to buy the book.
The Beloved Hope Chest is Book 4 of Amy Clipston’s Amish Heirloom series.
Each of the previous three books ended with some sort of unresolved
mystery. In Book 4, those mysteries are resolved. I cannot say that
there were any surprises in Book 4, or that Book 4 was particularly
eventful. Yet, Book 4 tied up the series beautifully. We got to see
why Mattie was able to empathize with what her daughters went through in
Books 1-3: because she had similar experiences. One can understand
Book 4 without having read the previous books, though.
Like many other Amy Clipston books that I have read, this one could
get repetitive and drag on, a bit. But it was slightly more variegated
in its treatment of issues than other Amy Clipston books. An asset to
the book is that Clipston communicated the characters’ emotions well.
Mattie has just lost her husband Isaac and is nervous in her newfound
marriage to Leroy: it is difficult for her to adjust to her new life,
and she is unsure if she can be a good wife to Leroy. Leroy has always
loved Mattie and wishes that she would love him in return. Clipston
vividly conveyed Mattie’s sense of loss and worry, and Leroy’s sadness
as a person with unrequited love.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. My review is honest!